


Understand

by CaptainErica



Series: Subtleties defeat you [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, girl still clueless, late christmas fic is late
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-26
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-09-27 15:56:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17164916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainErica/pseuds/CaptainErica
Summary: Hermione is a step closer to understanding, but only because she's aware that she doesn't.





	Understand

On Saturday, Hermione makes her way into Diagon Alley, walks down the street, and turns into Flourish and Blotts, eyes skirting over the damaged wood around the door and windows that the owners had decided not to get rid of; _Bookstore to Remain As Is!_ The Prophet had proclaimed, sensational as always. They hadn’t remained _as is_ , of course, they _had_ to clean up, repair a lot of things. It was the thought, of course, the reminders left etched into the centuries old wood, that’s what made for news.

Hermione didn’t have a favorite section, didn’t even have a book in mind today. The thought of going to the store had been on her mind since she woke up, like she had made plans to go that she couldn’t remember making. She wanders for a little bit, weaving through the aisles, before a display on Ancient Runes makes her pause. She’s running her fingers over the spine of a book on the study of a kind of magic utilizing writing instead of wand-waving, when someone comes up beside her.

“Ah, something new for you to study, hm?” The rather drawling voice of Draco Malfoy says, and she blinks, fingers curling slowly in toward her palm from their outstretched position. “Or just perusing?”

“Well, I haven’t decided,” she says, pulling her hand back a little, then changing her mind and reaching out to gently pull the book from the shelf. “Have you heard of this? Caligromancy? It sounds rather fascinating.” She says, having decided on being pleasant and actually carrying out this conversation; lunch the day before had not been unpleasant, just unexpected.

Malfoy seems a touch surprised, but he rolls with it. “It’s been dabbled in for a while, so far as I’m aware. I remember some books in the Manor, but I don’t believe it’s ever really caught on…” He says, then nods toward her book. “Until recently, apparently.” He adds, and it makes Hermione smile just a little.

“Well, I think you’ve convinced me, I’m getting it.” She says, curling her arm toward herself, the book from the table still in hand.

Malfoy eyes her, amused almost, and nods “A smart choice, I imagine.” He says, and something in how he says it makes her believe he really thinks so.

She smiles a little more shyly, stops a really strange urge to push her hair behind her ear, and takes a step back. “I do so hope.” She says, feeling her cheeks start to fame, and then she turns, calling out a goodbye as she heads for the cash register.

“An owl for you, Miss Granger.” Sylvia says as she walks past on Thursday morning, already rummaging through her bag like she’s lost something (might have).

“Oh, thank you, Sylvia.” She says, pausing briefly, pushing her hair out of her face and settling her bag a little. “I’ll just take that.” She says, taking the parcel and heading for her office, confused about who could have been owling her a package, when she hadn’t ordered anything that she could think of, and Christmas wasn’t for another whole entire week so what could this be?

She sets her things down and then gets them all to put themselves where they need to go so she can sit down and take stock of her inbox and the package before her. She’s naturally suspicious of random packages, but her curiosity gets the best of her, so she carefully eases the spellotape from the packaging. She doesn’t see anything untoward, doesn’t feel any magic, and when the paper has fallen away she sees it’s a book (obviously a book), and there is a very nice card right on top. She frowns, confused for a moment because something about the handwriting catches her eyes.

“Malfoy.” She whispers to herself, bewildered as she flips the card over. There’s just a simple note on the back, something benign about calligromancy and how he expects the book not to be damaged; ‘it’s an antique, you know’. She rolls her eyes, but pauses a moment to send him a quick little note of thanks, still confused. She runs her hand over the cover, and shakes her head to herself, confused by this, but she won’t say no to a gesture of good will like this.

“I got your memo, Hermione, and I refuse to eat in the cafeteria.” Harry says, leaving her office door open as he strides inside.

Hermione rolls her eyes without looking up. “Only had a few meetings this morning, hm?” She asks, noting the time as she tries to finish signing the document before her.

Harry pulls the chair across from her desk out and settles into it, easy and comfortable. “Yep, a couple new groups heading up to Azkaban, have to get them ready.” He says, as if he’s been doing this auror thing for 20 years instead of barely 5. “But come on, I can’t believe you suggested the cafeteria.” He says, and Hermione drops the signed document into her OUT box, and looks up at him.

“Ah, I know, I just thought…” She sighs, shakes her head with a smile. “I don’t know, you’re right, come on let’s go somewhere for pizza, when was the last time you had _pizza_?”

Harry laughs, standing slowly and shaking his head. “I don’t know, but I’ve seen what looks like some truly awful pizza being served down on the corner by the visitor’s entrance, sound good?”

“How do you even… No, I don’t want to know how you know about these things. It sounds perfect for today.” She says, moving to get her cloak.

Harry ignores the question with a shrug, eyes dropping to the corner of her desk. “What’s this?” He asks, stepping closer, touching the book, seeing the note tucked mostly out of sight. “Looks old.”

“It’s a book, Harry, honestly, you can’t tell me you haven’t seen one of these recently.” She says, teasing. Harry gives her a look and she shakes her head, “Malfoy sent it, I saw him on Saturday, I mentioned it to Ginny at dinner on Tuesday.” Harry gives her another look which says that Ginny wouldn’t have told _him_ that. “And I had spoken about an interest in some random magical thing, and he said he thought he had some books on it, that’s all.”

Harry gives her a _look_ that says ‘that’s all?’ and then steps closer to the door as she moves to do the same. “So whatever you told her was the no big deal version, then?”

Hermione throws _him_ a look this time. “You’re buying, do you have muggle money?” She says, pushing past him to head out the door.

Harry doesn’t give up, and when they’re standing in the small shop with their truly horrible pizza, she finally gives in.

“It’s like... oh I don’t know what it’s like, I honestly can’t even wrap my mind around it.” She says, leaning rather dejectedly against the condiments counter as Harry tries to figure out where to throw which part of their trash out in which bins.

“I can’t either with that information.”

Hermione gives him a look, then reaches out and pushes the paper products into the correct bin, couldn’t handle it any longer. “He’s being so strange, Harry, and it’s not because he’s just been kind enough to send me a rather rare book on a subject I’ve found a new interest in, no, it’s all the stuff before as well.”

Harry looks at her a moment, then straightens his glasses. “That’s… Well, he’s always, I dunno, been oddly fascinated by you. You know,” He says, standing up fully and taking her arm to lead her out, “one time I heard his father say that he’d ‘heard all about you’, what, in 2nd year?” He says, and Hermione scoffs.

“That was 10 years ago, Harry.” She says, rolling her eyes but letting him drag her out into the wintery air. “That means nothing. But still, it’s so hard to understand, why is he acting like this?”

Harry gives her a look, but she’s not looking, it doesn’t matter though because she wouldn’t have understood it. “Hermione… I don’t think I can help you with this.” He says, and…

And he’s right, of course. The only person that can help her understand what Draco Malfoy is thinking, is Draco Malfoy.

She’ll figure it out, though, she has to, or she’ll never rest.

**Author's Note:**

> Someday it will be Christmas in this series...


End file.
